Lesson 14<\/p>\n
Golden Rule in Action<\/p>\n
Luke 6:27-36<\/p>\n
By being a follower of Christ I know that there are those out in the world who automatically become my enemy.\u00a0 Most of them would never think of causing me bodily harm. However because I have a different belief system than they, we are automatically on opposite sides. I have to accept the fact that there are going to be people who disagree with men.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I have to remember that just as God has loved me since I have turned my life over to Him does not mean that He loves my enemies any less.\u00a0 Each of us is being called to look at others through the lens of Christ and His Father.\u00a0 If I choose to isolate myself from the unbeliever how is he ever to hear the good news.\u00a0 Paul spoke of this in 1 Corinthians.\u00a0 He said we are to associate with those of the world in order to bring them to Christ.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It is not easy for me to be outspoken in different environments.\u00a0 Being somewhat of an introvert makes me hesitant to speak out about my faith with those I do not know or are not like me.\u00a0 This is an area of my life of which I have to strive to change.\u00a0 If everyone was like me we would never reach out beyond the doors of the church.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Churches have cultures that may exclude certain individuals from the fellowship because they are different.\u00a0 We tend to attract and want people just like us.\u00a0 An entire church can develop a cliquish attitude and not be welcoming to everyone to desires to come into the body.\u00a0 We may think that we are friendly but we quite often prove to the guests that we do not truly want them in our midst.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Jesus calls us to have a different attitude when it comes to the horizontal relationships with those He loves.\u00a0 We have already seen that it was a diverse group of men He called to be His disciples.\u00a0 We need to follow His example and be thankful for our differences. Remember God called Jews and Gentiles together to make up His church.<\/p>\n
In the last lesson we spoke of priorities which dealt with our vertical relationship to God.\u00a0 This week we will see what Jesus had to say about our dealings with our fellow human beings.<\/p>\n
Luke 6:27<\/p>\n
The next series of sayings Jesus directed towards His disciples in particular.\u00a0 In John Jesus spoke to His brothers, who in a way represented all mankind.\u00a0 He told them that the world did not hate them but would hate Him. (See John 7:7) In the not too distant future the disciples would have enemies because they were identified with Jesus.\u00a0 They were told at the outset of His work that they were to love those who were in complete opposition to Him and those who followed Him.<\/p>\n
This would not be easy for them in the flesh.\u00a0 For the kind of love He talked about He used the word apagao, as opposed to the other Greek words for love eros and phileo.\u00a0 Both of those carry with them the concept of love based on emotion.\u00a0 Agapao was a love that man had to choose to give.\u00a0 It was of the will and not based on emotion.\u00a0 In every circumstance a follower of Christ is expected to have that kind of love. To touch the lives of the enemies in life Jesus called the disciples to do the unexpected.\u00a0 In order to treat others differently than they would treat the disciples, it all had to start with agape.<\/p>\n
Luke 6:28-30<\/p>\n
In the following verses can be seen the actions enemies will take. Knowing what was to come gave the disciples heads up on how to deal with the situation. They were to<\/p>\n
All of the above would take an act of the will.\u00a0 It is to be remembered that each of them would show that nothing aside from loving God meant anything.\u00a0 \u00a0In one\u2019s own strength it is impossible to do that which calls for such a radical response as Jesus called those men to that day.<\/p>\n
Luke 6:31<\/p>\n
This verse is what is known as the golden rule.\u00a0 It is interesting that Luke inserted it here right after talking about the harsh treatment a follower of Christ could expect to receive.\u00a0 There is no one left out of the command to treat others in the way you want to be treated.\u00a0 There is a possibility that even a person\u2019s enemy might be impacted if he realizes that he need not have to worry that he might be treated badly.<\/p>\n
Luke 6:32-34<\/p>\n
There are three aspects of a person\u2019s life that one may find easy to do. Even non-believers do the same thing with those like them.\u00a0 Jesus talked about:<\/p>\n
All three of these go against the response that they expected.\u00a0 He had just shared what His disciples\u2019 actions were to be toward those who did not love, do good or return what they had borrowed.\u00a0 Loving the loving etc. would not have an impact on the world. They had to be willing to take risks and get outside the safety net of family, friends and the familiar.\u00a0 Christ was calling them to move out and be among all types of people. Many of them would not like the message of Christ and would respond sometimes in a physical way in opposition to the disciples.<\/p>\n
Luke 6:35<\/p>\n
To love so unconditionally would put their enemies on the defensive.\u00a0 They would not know how to handle the unconditional love that His disciples were commanded to show towards them.\u00a0 It was a love with no demands.\u00a0 It was given to people who did not deserve it. The sacrificial love would reap benefits for the giver because it was given in humility without thought of oneself.\u00a0 That kind of behavior was Christ-like and proved that a man is one of God\u2019s children.\u00a0 It would be rewarded by the Father.<\/p>\n
Jesus called to their remembrance that God the Father is kind to both those who are ungrateful and evil. If God looks at all men with that kind of love could His disciples expect to be required to do any less? At some point every person was in that condition before God.<\/p>\n
Luke 6:36<\/p>\n
The disciples were to view all men in the same way that God sees them.\u00a0 The only man who never had to experience the mercy of God was Jesus.\u00a0 He showed mercy to all by taking what every person deserves when He died on the cross.\u00a0 No one who turns to God gets what he deserves but receives mercy.\u00a0 That same mercy was to be extended by the disciples.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Christ calls all of us to live a radically different life than we could ever hope to do on our own.\u00a0 Jesus made sure that we understand that selfishness in the body of Christ is not acceptable.\u00a0 The important lesson that we are to learn is that none of the things that Christ commanded His first century disciples and His followers today to do are possible without total dependence on Him.\u00a0 We are to love the unlovely, feed those who do not have anything and give to the needy never expecting anything in return except the word from God saying well done good and faithful servant. It is all about looking beyond ourselves to others.\u00a0 For me it carries the important point that we are to desire the best for everyone even if those who we might see as our enemies.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The world may never accept the message we have for them about Jesus.\u00a0 That should never deter us no matter what the consequences may be.\u00a0 Our witness must be Christ-like as we love others in spite of their rejection.\u00a0 We never know when a word or action might impact and transform a person for Christ.<\/p>\n
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